Sabeel Wave of Prayer Nov. 6, 2014

Sabeel Wave of Prayer

November 6, 2014

Lord, Israel continues to collectively punish Palestinians living in East Jerusalem: restricting some Palestinians from praying at Al Aqsa Mosque, detaining dozens of Palestinian youth, and harassing the Palestinian community in general. Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for calm and restraint from right-wing Israeli lawmakers and Jewish settler activists, they continue with their provocative visits to Al Aqsa and calls for extending Israeli sovereignty over the compound. Lord in your mercy…

Last week young Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan announced that she is donating her full prize money ($50,000) from the World Children’s prize to help rebuild UNRWA schools in Gaza that were damaged by Israel’s recent military offensive. We are humbled by her commitment to raising awareness about the importance of quality education for children, saying that “without education, there will never be peace.” May others be moved by her generosity. Lord in your mercy…

We give you thanks for the Swedish government’s recognition of the state of Palestine and for the senate vote in Ireland urging the Irish government to do the same. Lord, we pray that other countries will also take this step in investing in peace and support the self-determination of the Palestinian people. Lord in your mercy…

Lord, we welcome our new interim director, Rev. William Roberts, and are thankful for the energy, expertise and service he brings to the Sabeel family. We also pray for the many programs and events this week: a youth event in Nabi Musa/Mar Saba, the launch of Sabeel and Al-liqa’ Centers’ book on non-violent resistance, and a community retreat in the depopulated village of Ein Karem. Lord in your mercy…